Device for and method of making fibrous cones and the like



Aug. 18, 1931. A. NEWCOM BE 1,819,300 DEVICE FOR AND METHOD OF MAKINGFIBROUS CONES AND THE LIKE Filed March 26, 1928 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 g 1931-v A. NEWCOMBE 1,819,300

DEVICEQFOR AND METHOD OF MAKING FIBROUS CONES AND THE LIKE Filed March26. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 15 pended fibers, the part first enter'inPatented A... is, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT NEWCOHBE, ST.CHARLES, ILLINOIS, ABSIGNOB, BY IE8! assremms,

'IO H58! 3. HAWLEY, O! GENEVA, ILLINOIS DEVICE FOR AND ML'IEOD OI MAKINGFIBBOUS- (JONES AND THE LIKE Application fled larch 86, 1988. Serial No.864,788.

, The present invention relates to devices for and methods of makingfibrous articles,

diiferent parts or points, as for example, in Y 10 the case of the cone,the thickness may vary progressively. from apex to border or vice versa.This may be effected by use of a porous former, which may beprogressively moved into and out of a fluid bath of 8315- e ath beinglongest in immersion and ence receiving the greatest deposit of fibersthe part last entermgI the bath having the least immersion, and once thesmallest deposit 0 of fibers. In the case of reciprocating the movementof the former, the part first to enter the bath is the last to leave iton the return stroke, and similarly the part last to enter the bath isfirst to leave it on such return stroke.v In this way difierentarts ofthe former are in immersion for ifi'erent periods of time. Suction iseffected during all of the time of movement whereby the fibers may besucked upon the former on so such portions as are immersed, and hencesuch parts that are immersed the longer or longest intime relation willreceive the greater or greatest deposits of fibers and likewise suchparts as are immersed the shorter or shortest in time relations willreceive the lesser or least deposits of fiber. The variations inthickness are, therefore, gauged by the rate of movement of the formerinto and out of the bath and the amount of suction or artial vacuum inthe former or former head.

- he movement may be regular or uniform to produce regular gradations inthickness variation, or the movement may be irregular. In

the latter case, the variations or successions of de osits of successiveparts of the former may e such as to form ribs, corrugations, orthelike, the deposits being thicker at the slow regions to effect hillsand thinner at the fast regions to efi'ect valleys.

'50 It is also an object of the invention to provide a novelarticle by'the method mentioned, also,to provide a novel device or means for carring out the processmentioned and to pro uce the article mentioned. In aspecific embodiment illustrative of the invention the device comprises acontainer for the fluid bath of suspended fibers, fibrous material, orpulp, or the like, and means ma be used for agitating the bath formaintaining the fibers in substantiall homogeneous suspension. Theformer 1s preferably ofporous form and placed upon or in contact with aperforated part or ortion of a head, which is preferably hol 0w so thata artial vacuum may produced'or effected t erein to cause a suct1on ofthe fluid from the bath through the ores and erforations of the formerand ead, and t us effect a deposit of fibers on the former. Means isreferably connected to the head and adapte to move the same into and outof the bath at given rate so that the parts of the head may be made toprogressivey or successively enter and leave the bath, as aboveexplained.

Other objects, capabilities, advanta s features and process steps arecomprehengz by the invention as will later appear and are inherentlpossessed thereby.

Referrin to the drawin s, Fi 1- is a view partly in si e elevation anpart y in vertical section of a device constructed in accordance withthe invention;

2 is a top plan view of the same;

F1g. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of the head part andparts of the con tainer and operating mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a former and a blank thereon;

Fig. 5 is a similar view of a fibrous blank;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the device altered to use a former inreverse position, for increasing the thickness gradually in an ogpositedirection from that in the former s own in the other figures.

Referring now more in detail to the drawings, the embodiment selected toillustrate the invention is shown as comprising a container or vat 1 inwhich is included a given amount of liquid and sus ended fibers 2. Thisfluid bath with suspen ed fibers may be maintained in agitation by theblowing of air through a perforated coil 3 located in the lower part ofthe container or bath, and connected to an air inlet pipe 4 controlledby a valve 5 as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Associated with the container or vat 1 1s a frame having uprights 6 and7 connected to the vat by angle pieces 8 and 9 at the lower end thereof,and by guide pieces 10 and 11 connected to the upper end 0 the vat andacting as guide elements as will be later explained. To the upper partsof the members 6 and 7 are connected cross members or beams 12 and 13,the beam 13 being connected to the uprights 6 and 7 by plates 14 and 15,as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. To the beam 13 aresecured angle brackets 16 and 17 and guide strips 18 and 19, the stripsbeing spaced from the brackets to provide guiding channels or tracks forthe sliding of vertically reciprocated angle bars 20 and 21 These anglebars may also carry or have secured thereto, side strips 22 and 23adapted to slide over the outer edges of the angle brackets 16 and 17,as clearly shown in Fig. 2. To each angle member 20 and 21 are attachedtoothed racks 24 and 25 in any suitable manner. With the racks aremeshed gears 26 and 27 driven by shaft 28 rotatably supported inbearings 29 and 30 carried by brackets 31 and 32 secured to the sides ofthe members 6 and 7 as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Collars 33 and 34 may besecured to the shaft adjacent to bearings to prevent axial movement ofthe shaft.

To the upright member 6 and at a suitably elevated point, is secured aplatform or shelf 35, upon which is mounted a motor 36 in drivingconnection with a gearing device 37 of any suitable type. The motor iscoupled to the gearing through a coupling 38, and the gearing is coupledto the shaft 28 by a couplin 39. The gearing 37 is such that it iscapaile of rotating the shaft in one direction for a given time and thenreversing the direction of rotation, so that the racks 24 and 25 andconnected parts may be vertically reciprocated.

At the lower ends of the reciprocating members 20 and 21 are securedbrackets 40 and 41, upon which is supported and may be secured a plate42. This plate may be provided with a threaded opening for connection ofanipple 43, carrying an elbow 44 to which may be connected a flexibleduct or pipe 45. The pipe is connected to a pipe 46 extending through aside wall of the vat and leading to any suitable means for creating asuction or partial vacuum, the passage being controlled by a hand valve47 as desired. Upon the plate 42 may be supported or otherwise engaged aperforated cone shaped plate or head member 48. The thickness of thisplate and the size of the perforations are exaggerated for the purposeof clarity,

Upon the head member 48 is placed a thin metal member 49 which may beperforated or porous and of cone shape, fitting with the outer surfaceof the member 48. This porous member 49 has very fine perforations, ormay be of the reticulated form. The fibrous material 50 is depositedupon this porous member in the form of a blank as will be laterexplained.

It will be noted that the reciprocable members 20 and 21 are slidable ingrooves or slots formed in the brackets 10 and 11 on the top of the vatso as to guide the vertical movement of the members 20 and 21.

In the alternate form shown in Fig. 6, the plate 42a is secured'tobrackets 40a and 41a so as to hold the'head beneath the plate instead ofabove the same as in Fig. 3. In other respects the head comprises theperforated head member 48, a porous spinner 49 upon which is depositedthe fibrous material 50 upon the under side rather than upon the upperside, as in Fig. 3.

In the operation of the device, a given quantity of water and fibrousmaterial is maintained in the vat and the agitation of the same iseffected so as to maintain the fibers in suspension and in more or lesshomogeneous condition. At the start, the reciprocating means is in upperposition with the porous head above and outside the vat. The suctiondevice is operated so as to create a partial vacuum within the spacebetween the head member 48 and the plate member or portion 42, so as tocause a suction through the perforations and pores of the members 49 and50. The motoris then started and as it drives through the gearmechanism, this being of the reduction gear type, the shaft 28 and gears26 and 27 arerotated in the proper manner to lower the racks 24 and 25,and the porous head. This is done at a given rate so that as the lowerpart of the porous member enters the bath, the fibrous material willbegin to be deposited upon that part being immersed. This will progressupper part of the head, and that a greater amount of fibers will bedeposited upon the parts that have been immersed the longer time. Themovement of the head is then reversed, caused to rise and leave thebath. It will be noted that the upper part of the head will leave thebath earlier than, the lower part will, and the parts remaining inimmersion will be having fibers deposited thereon, so that a greateramount of fibers will be deposited on those parts leaving the bath laterthan the parts leaving the bath earlier. In this way there is a gaugedor graduated thickness of deposited fibers from apex to border, or viceversa, of the cone.

In the form shown in Fi 3 the thicker deposit is at the border of t econe, while the thinner deposit is at the center. In the form shown inFig. 6, the thicker deposit is at the apex and the thinner de osit atthe border.

It will be understoo that the gearing member 37 may be so designed as toreciprocate the head at an irregular rate, so that the immersion may befor certain distances rather rapid, and for other distances or regionsslow, so that the deposit of fiber may be made less or greater accordingto the rate of immersion and time of immersion of these regions.

While I have herein described and upon the drawings shown anillustrative embodiment of the invention and a process of producing theparticular articles disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited thereto, but may comprehend other. constructions,arrangements of parts, details, process steps and features withoutdeparting from the spirit thereof.

Having thus disclosed the invention,

I claim:

1. The process of making fibrous cones for sound reproducers, comprisingimmersing successive parts of a porous former in a fluid bath ofsuspended fibers whereby different points of the former will be immersedfpr difierent lengths of time, and causingdepositing of fibers upon theformer in thicknesses at difierent points proportional to the time ofimmersion of said points.

. 2. The process of making fibrous cones for sound reproducers,comprising progressively moving a porous former into and out of a fluidbath of suspended fibers, creating a suction within the former, causinga deposit of fibers upon the immersed parts of the former, the thicknessof fibers deposited being proportional to the time of immersion of saidparts. 1

3. A fibrous cone varying in thickness from apex to border.

4. A fibrous cone composed of a layer of deposited fibers from a fluidbath of suspended fibers, said layer of fibers being of a thickness overportions of the cone according to the time of immersion of said portionin said bath.

5. A fibrous cone composed of a layer of deposited fibers from a fluidbath of suspended fibers, said layer of fibers varying in thickness fromapex to border in proportion having different thicknesses of depositedto the time of immersion of said cone in said bath.

6. A fibrous cone composed of deposited fibers from a fluid bath ofsuspended fibers, diflerent successive parts of said cone between theapex and the border of said cone fibers froportionate to the time ofimmersion 0 sad parts in said bath.

7. The process of making fibrous objects comprising immersing a porousformer in a bath containing fibers in suspension, causing said fibers todeposit upon said former while the former is immersed in said bath, andvarying the thickness of said deposit by varymg theperiod of immersionof predetermined parts of said former.

8. A- device for making fibrous articles comprising'a container forholding a bath carrying fibers in suspension, a hollow porous former, asupport for said former, said support being movable, so that the formermay be immersed in and removed from said bath, means for producin adifference of pressure outside of and wit in the former, so as to causefibers to deposit thereon, and means (for so controlling the speed ofmovement of said support that some portions of the former are immersedin the bath sufiiciently longer than other parts thereof to provide avaried thickness of deposited fibers.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name to this specification.

ALBERT NEWCOMBE.

